1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a first stage rainfall sampler, in particular to a first stage rainfall sampler for sampling a first stage rainfall, such as acid rain, step by step, into a plurality of containers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the case where a rainfall is sampled every 1 mm of rain in a first stage step by step method, a water-sampling bottle 42 provided with a float stopper 41, as shown in for example FIG. 10, has been used. In this case, a sampler 44, in which a plurality of the water-sampling bottles 42 are arranged in a housing portion 43 step by step, as shown in FIG. 9, has been used. In this sampler 44, when the rainfall is detected by a rain sensor 45, a cover member 47 covering a funnel 46 provided in an upper portion of the housing portion 43 is opened to introduce the rainfall at first into a water-sampling bottle 42, which is uppermost arranged, within the housing portion 43, through a conduit 48, and when the water-sampling bottle 42 is filled with the rainfall, the water-sampling bottle 42 is closed by the float stopper 41. The rainfall is then introduced into the next water-sampling bottle 42 by a distributing funnel 49. Subsequently, the rainfall is introduced into the respective following water-sampling bottles 42 in turn step by step.
In the above described sampling method by the use of the water-sampling bottle 42, problems have occurred in that the water-sampling bottle 42 is provided with the float stopper 41 and thus complicated in construction, so that it is not easy to wash the water-sampling bottle 42. In addition, the water-sampling bottle 42 is fixed in volume, so that, in the case where the first stage rainfall is designed to be sampled more finely, for example for every 0.5 mm, the water-sampling bottle 42 or the funnel 46 must be exchanged. In addition, in the case where the first stage rainfall is sampled for every 6 mm or more, the sampler 44 itself is considerably increased in size and weight and thus a high and wide space is required. Thus, for example, selection of an installation site, installation work or transfer and the like are not easy. Furthermore, the cover member 47 of the funnel 46 must be automatically opened and closed by a motor, so that a power source, an additional source of problems, is required.